Summary
The Universal Declaration of Cannabis version 3.0 is a comprehensive international charter and proposed common standard for governments, institutions, businesses, communities, and individuals. Prepared and published by Marie Seshat Landry, CEO and Founder of Landry Industries Inc. in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, in October 2026, this document is proposed for international public consultation and advocacy. It offers an ethical, human-rights-based framework addressing the legal, social, medical, and economic dimensions of cannabis worldwide.
The document begins with a preamble establishing the core philosophy that every human being possesses inherent dignity and fundamental rights. It affirms liberty, bodily autonomy, privacy, health, and equality before the law while recognizing cannabis as a plant of immense agricultural, medicinal, industrial, scientific, cultural, and economic significance. The preamble highlights concerns regarding disproportionate punishment, arbitrary discrimination, unsafe products, and misinformation, while advocating for an international framework that protects human dignity, advances evidence-based reform, and reduces avoidable harm.
Divided into seven main chapters, the declaration covers a wide range of topics starting with definitions and fundamental principles. Chapter I establishes the universal scope of the declaration across all forms of cannabis, derivatives, and constituent molecules, providing a detailed definition that includes plants, hemp, marijuana, resins, cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, terpenes, and future scientific discoveries. It guarantees equal dignity, non-discrimination, personal autonomy, and adult choice, ensuring individuals are not presumed criminal or unfit solely due to cannabis association.
Chapter II focuses on health, science, and culture, guaranteeing medical access, patient rights, scientific freedom, education, and the respect of traditional knowledge and cultural practices. Chapter III outlines economic and commercial rights, covering agricultural freedom, business rights, fair competition, workers' rights, consumer protection, product safety, and intellectual property. It emphasizes transparent regulatory systems, safe working conditions, accurate labelling, and balanced innovation frameworks that protect traditional knowledge.
Chapter IV addresses public health and shared responsibility, emphasizing evidence-based harm reduction, public education on risks, special protections for children and adolescents, public safety, and environmental protection including water conservation and pollution prevention. Chapter V is dedicated to justice and legal reform, calling on states to review criminal laws, end criminal punishment for personal adult possession and use, ensure fair process and proportionality, and examine historical injustices through conviction review, expungement, and reintegration assistance.
Chapter VI covers national sovereignty and international cooperation. It affirms the sovereign right of every nation to develop lawful cannabis policies suited to its constitutional, cultural, and economic circumstances while encouraging cooperation against illicit trafficking, exploitation, and corruption, alongside international legal compatibility. Chapter VII details implementation and final provisions, outlining government responsibilities, public participation, accountability, independent international monitoring and review, and the legal status of the document as a non-binding declaration proposed for public consultation.
This charter is designed to serve as a vital resource for policymakers, legal scholars, human rights advocates, researchers, healthcare professionals, business leaders, and civil society organizations. Readers can use this document to inform legislative debates, guide regulatory frameworks, advocate for restorative justice, and support evidence-based public health policies around the globe. By providing a structured, rights-centric vision for cannabis reform, the declaration bridges the gap between traditional drug control and modern scientific understanding.
FAQ
What is the Universal Declaration of Cannabis v3.0?
It is an international charter and proposed common standard for governments, institutions, businesses, and communities regarding human rights, personal freedom, public health, and economic justice related to cannabis.
Who authored the Universal Declaration of Cannabis?
The document was prepared by Marie Seshat Landry, CEO and Founder of Landry Industries Inc., located in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
Is the declaration legally binding international law?
No. According to Article 26, it is proposed as an international instrument for public consultation, advocacy, and consideration, and does not become binding law solely through publication or adoption as a non-binding declaration.
What does the declaration propose regarding personal possession and use?
Article 16 calls upon states to review and reform laws imposing criminal punishment for personal cannabis possession and use by adults, aiming to end criminal penalties while applying safeguards for public health.
What substances does the declaration encompass?
According to Article 2, it encompasses cannabis plants, hemp, marijuana, resins, oils, extracts, edibles, tinctures, cannabinoids like Delta-9 THC and CBD, terpenes, and future cannabis-related molecules identified through science.
